Because sometimes life is Light, Bright with a tinge of Darkness!

anatomy

This is going to be a new segment on Light, Bright, Darkness where I put the Spotlight on some creative person that I think is fantastic and that people reading this blog should know about!
So today I’m putting the Spotlight On… Simmone Spring, the genius behind Your Organ Grinder!

Your Organ Grinder was founded in 2006 in Brisbane, focusing mainly on anatomy made from felt, fleece, brass, plastic, fabric and wood.

Fascinated… I caught up with Simmone to ask a couple of questions!

First of all what initially made you want to create?
I’ve been interested in making things for as long as I can remember. I used to make gifts for friends that were very dodgy and I also made clothing for my Barbies. Crafting is a great way to pass time. I think I probably started to make things because my mum did. I learned crochet when I was 8 or 9 because she was doing it and I wanted to know how.

What is the drive behind your creations? Why organs?
My label is Your Organ Grinder which is all handmade anatomy. I think my drive behind this work is because I like things that are a bit different and always have. I had dead bug collections as a kid, decided my favourite movie was The Silence of the Lambs when I first watched it when I was 11 and started watching The X-Files at 12. Making anatomy combines my love of science, biology and horror.
I make a LOT of stuff though, not just anatomy. I’m really lucky that I get to work for Hands On Brisbane and learn new crafts all the time. I’ve also recently learned a little bit of taxidermy which I have wanted to do since I was 12!

What materials do you work with? Is there a particular material you love working with? Wool wool wool! I love wool felt and fleece. 75% of my collection is made from wool felt and fleece and I love these materials. I’ve also done bits and pieces in plastic, metal, wood and fabric.
How long does each creation take to make?
Ages! Some things take days as I cannot do the same actions with my hands over and over again so I can only do a little at a time. Some are much faster. I work with sheets of felt or dyed fleece and my own patterns. It’s really important whilst doing close crafting to keep changing your focus so you don’t get tired & damaged eyes, I watch a lot of tv & netflix whilst I craft. Sometimes I’ll watch the same movie over and over again because I can get into a zone with a certain movie.

What are your customers like? Do you have a certain fan base that always comes back for more?I have a handful of customers who buy a couple of things once or twice a year. My customers are people who use the piece of anatomy as a talisman; people who have had illness or transplant or injury to certain organs. A lot of parents buy things for their graduating doctor children.

What is your all time favourite creation?I love my brains but I’m also a fan of this Barbie set up.

If any one person living or dead was to love your work who would you wish that person was?I’ve read that Courtney Love had bought a lot of stuff from Etsy. It’d be cool if she had bought something! I also had The Paul O’Grady Show contact me and I signed a release to have my Liver on the show. I don’t know if it was ever on it though but I like the idea of a comedian making jokes about what I make.

I’d love it if Stephen King had a brain or heart on his desk as he’s been a constant creative influence on me ever since I started to read his books.

What is the future for Your Organ Grinder?I’m not quite sure! I definitely want to keep making felt body parts and am trying to get them to be the best they can be. I’m currently doing a 365 days project you can follow on my blog (yourorgangrinder.com)or instagram @yourorgangrinder where I am making a felt skeleton. I have no idea how I’m going to do the skull!

Would you offer readers 10% off your store?Sure! The coupon code for my etsy store is ORGANGRINDER10

You can check more out on
facebook- Your Order Grinder
Instagram- Your Organ Grinder
Etsy- yourorgangrinder.etsy.com/
yourorgangrinder.com